


Lapidot Week Fic 2019

by nijuu



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Lapidot Week, Pining, and they were ROOMMATES
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 10:48:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20113870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nijuu/pseuds/nijuu
Summary: Just a bit of a story inspired by Lapidot Week. Love those funky lil gems. This is my first time writing fanfiction so please let me know how you feel about it!





	1. Earth Emotions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Some good old fashioned Lapis angst involved in this one.
> 
> This is something of a preface chapter for the rest of the work. It doesn't fall under a Lapidot week prompt. Again, I appreciate any feedback!

Earth was the warmth of the sun on her face, the evening breeze flowing through her hair, the scent of dew and grass and flowers drifting lazily through the air. Of course, that warmth was the sun’s infrared radiation beaming to her from just a hundred million miles away. And that gentle gust of wind was simply carrying fragrant particles to her olfactory system. Earth was, so far, a collection of interrelated systems that built up to something _ good _ , something she would protect at all costs. Because this planet was certainly complex, for sure, but it was also surprisingly _ comprehensible _.

Well, with a few exceptions.

Exhibit A. Earth humor. Peridot would often catch the Earth locals giggling at the most puzzling things. When Peridot wore her favorite shorts to the city one day, for example, they wouldn’t stop laughing. Steven and Amethyst even joined in for a little while. But there was no shame in having good taste. The pair of shorts was clearly _ the _ optimal article of clothing, exhibiting its intimidating army of little green soldiers for all the world to fear! Plus it was _ incredibly _ soft. Aesthetically pleasing with a practical purpose!

Exhibit B. Earth emotions. This planet seemed to have the unique ability to induce strange and incomprehensible emotions in Peridot. For example, when spotting her new barnmate gliding back home through the clouds, Peridot couldn’t help but break into an uncontrollable grin, an impulse apparently reserved for nearly no one else. If she had to guess, she was feeling a mix of empathy for her fellow earthbound gem and excitement at the prospect of having a new assistant to work with. But even this rational explanation felt off. Peridot was determined to solve the puzzle on her own during her time on Earth.

And speaking of which, Exhibit C was none other than Lapis Lazuli herself. The blue gem rarely smiled, and when she did, it seemed wistful and distant. And it was almost impossible for Peridot to rationalize some of Lazuli’s behavior! Lazuli never seemed to give up her side of any argument, even if she was _ clearly _ wrong. She insisted on sleeping with the door open, despite the very real threat of being caught by one of Yellow Diamond’s scanners. Furthermore, she seemed just so… _ distant _ all the time. Who did she think she was, walking around with that razor-sharp glare, wearing that supremely bored expression on her face? Who was she with her haughty, monotone, mysterious voice?

In fairness, Lazuli would occasionally crack a genuine smile at Steven, and her tone could sometimes become bright and sweet and clear and wonderful. And in those rare content moments, Peridot felt like she truly understood how much Earth meant to Lazuli. But Lazuli never looked that way for Peridot. And that made Peridot feel quite irritated.

Whenever Lazuli opened her wings and soared through the skies, there was a certain rare glint in her eyes. She seemed so content and satisfied in the air, wearing a tranquil expression reserved (well, mostly reserved), for the birds around her and the clouds by her side. It was a most fascinating expression indeed.

So naturally, during those moments, Peridot liked to stop what she was doing to observe her barnmate more closely. She carefully studied the way Lazuli’s wings fluttered to slow her descent, the way her slender arms were skillfully moved to just the right positions for balance, the way her fingers twitched slightly as she hit the ground. Lazuli always had the purest expression of joy on her face, her gemstone glowing a faint, contented blue, her eyes tightly shut to savor the moment. Peridot would listen for the soft pit-pat of Lazulis’ feet touching the ground, and on breezy days, if she stood _ just _ close enough, she could smell the lingering scent of an ocean breeze-

“Peridot.” Lazuli’s voice appeared out of nowhere, and her faithful observer jumped where she stood.

“Y-yes?” Peridot squeaked.

“You’re staring. Again.”

Peridot smacked her own forehead with her palm. “Sorry.”

Lazuli glared at her for a second before sighing, cracking a slight smile, and moving past her into the barn. “That’s okay,” Lapis said, waving her arm to the gem behind her.

Gah! The blue one was such a mystery. An enigma! It was only logical that Peridot would want to carefully observe this enigma of a gem. But was she taking too close a look? At least Lazuli seemed to be okay with it. Peridot might have to adjust her approach a little. Lazuli _ was _ quite a sight to behold (well, as powerful Era One gems often were). But, as Peridot held her hand to her pounding heart, she had a sinking feeling that the effect Lazuli had on her was something else, something entirely new to her. Ugh. It was probably something incomprehensible to a gem like her, something _ utterly irrational _.

_ This strange physiological effect must be related to some sort of Earth disease _ , Peridot guessed. She would have to do more research on this phenomenon. Hmm… with some _ Camp Pining Hearts _, perhaps. 

* * *

She was staring at her again.

Peridot was sneaking quick glances towards Lapis’ corner of the barn.

Lapis stuck her nose in a magazine and pretended not to notice. What did Peridot want from her? Was she trying to conduct some sort of horrible experiment on her? Just thinking about the possibilities sent chills down her Lapis’ spine. But Peridot was Steven’s friend, and Lapis trusted Steven, so she took a deep breath and tried her best not to think about it.

She didn’t quite know what to make of her new roommate, honestly. The little gremlin was strange and impulsive, often blabbering on and on about things that Lapis had never even heard of. But Peridot seemed sincere and honest enough for the time being; she _ was _ at least making an effort. It was all a lot to think about.

The blue gem sighed, swept her skirt beneath her legs, and lay down on the ground. She liked sitting directly on the cold, wooden floor, smelling the earth and dust in the air. It reminded her that she was grounded. And she was safe on the ground. Safe and sound. It had been a while, huh.

Lapis yawned and stretched out her limbs, dropping the magazine over her eyes. Nowadays, flying took so much out of her. But she loved to use her wings as much as possible. It really had been a while since she had felt the wind in her hair. Or any wind at all. Maybe tomorrow, she would go out again. Or maybe learn more... about the little green one…

And as Lapis eventually gave in to the irresistible embrace of fatigue, she drifted off into the darkness.

It was just her.

Just like it always had been, and just like it always would be.

Just her and the darkness, the darkness and her.

She would panic for the first few days. She was anchored to nowhere with nothing at all she could do. The fear, the unbridled rage, the loneliness, the overwhelming despair would set in, weighing her heart down and dragging her further into the depths of her prison. These feelings would overtake her, one after the other, and then they would overlap with each other, and she would feel them all at once, and then she would feel _ everything _ . A hint of cynical happiness at the sudden peace and quiet. At least she was safe, tirelessly safe, _ endlessly _ safe. She would scream out into the darkness, lashing out at herself for hours and hours, doing _ anything _ just to break the inescapable silence. And over time, she would recognize something dark beneath it all, something _ terrifying _ , something that had been growing inside her the whole time, and she would never quite know _ what _ exactly, but it would slowly sneak its tendrils around her, painfully gnawing at all the little surfaces of her soul, until it felt like every fiber of her being was being torn open a trillion times over, until every single part of her would screech out for days in soundless agony, until anything she could think about was utterly meaningless, until there was nothing left of her that she could call Lapis for hundreds and hundreds of years.

And everything would be gone.

But nothing wouldn’t last.

Her mind would fragment over and over unto infinity, shattering to the furthest corners of her endless prison. And in her weakened state, the wicked and furious creature that had made it into the cell with her would begin to spread its influence again. Everything she felt before she would feel once more, a trillion times at once, from a trillion miles apart. The same emotions, raw and visceral and desperate and helpless, would race through her mind again and again and again and again, the same sensations painfully disassembling her piece by piece, until each and every feeble little fragment of her soul faded into the greedy darkness to await her cycle born anew.

And everything would be gone.

But nothing wouldn’t last.

A flicker of warmth.

“Lazuli?”

Because in the briefest moments of calm, a part of her would still try to whisper a faint reminder of who she once was.

“Lazuli-”

She could struggle all she wanted to remember, but she had already struggled for forever, and at her core she knew nothing would bring her back.

“WAKE UP--”

She remembered. She was all alone. Just her, and the darkness, and...

“P… Peridot?” Lapis whispered.

Lapis squinted into the dark and found a familiar green head nodding fervently back at her. Peridot’s eyes were wide open, an expression of sheer concern on her face. “I’m here, Lazuli! Wh- what should I do?”

What was _ this _ goofy little gem doing here?

Lapis felt a hand on her shoulder. “Look, I’m right here. Are you awake?”

It took her a second, but Lapis closed her eyes tightly and focused on the warmth on her own shoulder. And she could once more feel the cool wooden floor beneath her, smell the faintest hint of earth and dust in the air, and hear the soft taps of raindrops hitting the floor. 

* * *

Peridot hadn’t noticed Lazuli’s nightmare at first, because in the episode she was rewatching, Percy had dove to the bottom of the lake to retrieve Paulette’s friendship bracelet and it was all very exciting. But eventually, Peridot saw the faintest movement out of the corner of her eye. Lazuli was shivering in her sleep again. _ Yeesh, if she was cold, why did she always sleep with the door open? _ Peridot hopped down from the loft to take a closer look at her unconscious roommate, who was now thrashing around on the floor. _ Better not scratch your gem like that _ , thought Peridot. _ Note to self: be far away from Lazuli when she sleeps. _ Peridot giggled and crawled a little closer.

Upon closer inspection, though, there seemed to be tears pooling beneath Lazuli’s eyelids. Interesting. Perhaps her lacrimal glands were reacting to an external irritant. Or she was dreaming of an emotionally distressing situation?

Before Peridot could investigate further, she flinched as Lazuli’s eyelids burst open. But Lazuli’s eyes were clouded over, showing no signs of those striking navy blue irises. Instead, her dull gray sclera seemed to be glowing faintly, her eyes empty and unnerving. _ Oh no. _ “Lazuli?” Lazuli’s teardrops began to quiver, slowly making their way across her long, thick eyelashes. “Lazuli-” Peridot stopped. The teardrops began to slip off of Lazuli’s lashes, hovering in midair. Lazuli sat up in her sleep, a collection of shimmering droplets suspended all around her expressionless face. _ She’s using her power? In her sleep? If she keeps this up she might bring the whole barn down, or... or something! _“WAKE UP--”

“P… Peridot?” Lazuli whispered.

Lazuli was responsive! But how could Peridot help now? Was there anything she could… “I’m here, Lazuli! Wh- what should I do?” Peridot carefully reached her arm out and held on to Lazuli’s shoulder. “Look, I’m right here,” she whispered pleadingly. “Are you awake?”

Lazuli closed her eyes, let out a sharp gasp, and opened them again. Her dancing teardrops splattered to the floor, as if suddenly remembering their own weight, and she looked around with wide, frantic eyes. Blue irises. Good.

“Peridot…” Lazuli said, gasping for breath. Hyperventilation, perhaps. Lazuli should take deep, conscious breaths. Gems didn’t have to breathe, per se, but maintaining steady control over her respiratory rate would be good for her mental state. She should--

“Peridot,” Lazuli repeated. She placed her slender blue fingers over Peridot’s hand, and Peridot was suddenly conscious of the fact that her own arm was quivering under the touch. She quickly tried to steady herself, staring concernedly at her roommate. “Lazuli, are you okay?”

Lazuli looked to the side and nodded slightly. “I’m alright. Just… Just give me a moment.”

The pair stayed like that for a little while. Lazuli’s breathing eventually slowed down, which was a good sign. Peridot continued to cling on to Lazuli’s shoulder, faintly aware of Lazuli’s hand lightly grasping her own. Faint droplets of perspiration began to form around Lazuli’s neck, her top becoming saturated with moisture. Her breath was deliberate and steady now, her chest gently rising and falling with the sound of every faint breath. And at the back of her mind, Peridot realized that they were very, _ very _ close at the moment. Which was, _ ahem _, of course, only because it was what Lazuli needed right now-

“Oh, _ PERCY! _ I will _ never _ let you go!”

As if on cue, Paulette’s passionate voice burst from the TV set, making Peridot jump. “Ah!” Peridot pulled back her hand, her cheeks flushing with color. _ Th-the timing! _ Lazuli took her hand back as well, opting instead to rub her own arms.

“Thank you. Peridot.” Lazuli looked back down at Peridot and gave her a faint smile, a smile that looked like it was miles and miles away. “I’m okay now. I’m sorry if I ruined your episode.” 

Peridot gulped. “It’s okay. Can I interest you in a cold shower?” She winced. Water? Seriously? _ Stupid. _ She sighed. “I’ll just. Go get Steven, or Amethyst. They’re usually the ones to cheer _ me _ up.”

Lazuli shook her head earnestly and looked directly at Peridot. “Please don’t tell Steven. I don’t want him to worry. I don’t want to get anyone else involved.”

Peridot averted the sight of her soft blue eyes and nodded. “Alright. Do you want to… talk about it?”

Lazuli let out a deep sigh and leaned back. “I don’t think I want to even think about it. At all. And I’m _ definitely _ not going back to sleep.” She tilted her head for a second, likely listening to the ambient sounds of the television. “How about we just watch that show instead? You can try to explain those squiggles you drew.”

Peridot grinned, nodded, and puffed out her chest. “_ Squiggles _? That is a complex analysis of the compatible characteristics between the main campers! It’s a rational, effective, data-driven chart composed by yours truly!”

Thankfully, Lazuli snorted and stood up. “What’s the point of a chart if it makes it even harder to understand? Come on.”

As Lazuli walked towards the TV, Peridot stared at the blue gemstone affixed between her elegant shoulder blades. _ I’m glad she’s okay for now _ , Peridot sighed. _ And I’ll have to personally make sure she gets HEAVILY invested in Camp Pining Hearts, as it’s clearly the best form of entertainment on this planet. _ “We’ll start from the first episode!” she declared, running forward to catch up with her roommate. Peridot had a new mission to complete! And maybe, just maybe, the excitement could help her own scorching cheeks finally cool down. 

* * *

Lapis curled up into a ball and squished into the corner of the couch, resting her head on the armrest. Her body ached all over, as if it were begging to lie very still and never move again. But she knew she didn’t want to sleep at all.

This feeling was starting to get uncomfortably familiar, wasn’t it? She remembered the day she finally escaped the mirror, taking in her first breath of ocean breeze. The moment she stepped out, she had promised to never let herself be trapped again. And then _ this one _ brought her back to Earth, and she had no choice but to imprison herself once more. She locked herself in the cage of her own mind with a wounded animal, thousands of feet beneath the ocean’s surface. But it should have gone differently, shouldn’t it? Didn’t she have something to fight for that time around? She shuddered and closed her eyes. It had gone the same way it always did. She had dragged herself into sunless depths again, only she was changed, powerful, _ monstrous _ . And the darkness had invaded her mind once more, only this time, it was a part of herself from the very beginning, and it had a mind of its own. It was stronger, and it was _ angry _. And-

“Lazuli! Hey!” Peridot pouted. “Don’t you dare drift off in the middle of my explanation!”

Lapis opened an eye and glanced back to Peridot. The smaller gem was now standing right in front of her, animatedly waving a few pieces of paper in her face. “Pierre’s an ‘absolute unit’, Lazuli! Pierre _ never loses _ . He’s _ objectively _ the strongest human in the entire camp. He’s the optimal candidate for the kissing ritual!”

Lapis slowly sat up and snorted. “Just because he’s strong doesn’t mean he’d make a good partner. What about Paulette? She’s been messing around, flirting with Percy for, like, a while now.”

“LAZULI.” Peridot’s jaw dropped in disgust, and she tossed her convoluted diagrams into the air. One of them landed right in Peridot’s hair. _ Like a mother bird returning to its nest, _ thought Lapis, letting out a quick giggle. Peridot’s cheeks flushed a deep, olive green, and she dropped onto the couch beside her.

“Hmph. Haven’t you been listening to me at all? Paulette may have had some fun moments with Percy, but ultimately, Pierre and Percy would be undefeatable in every terrestrial, aquatic, _ and _ intellectual event. They’re _ much _ better for each other.”

Lapis burst out laughing. _ She’s so sincere about this. I wonder if she knows that she’s a massive dork. _ Peridot puffed out her cheeks indignantly and crossed her arms and waited for the laughter to subside.

“Thanks, Peridot.” Lapis wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and grinned at the gem beside her. “Actually, I’m sort of glad. You know, for giving you a chance back when I first got here. Maybe you _ have _changed.”

Peridot averted her roommate’s gaze, leaning her cheek into her palm. _ I can still see that smile, you know, _ Lapis thought to herself. _ But that’s fine by me. _

The pair fell silent for a moment, listening to the quiet static emanating from the television set. The gentle flicker of the screen illuminated Peridot’s bashful expression against the darkness. A peridot and a lapis lazuli, alone on a couch in a barn far into the night. There was always something new going on in this planet.

The grin eventually fell off of Peridot’s face, and she turned to face Lapis. “Mmm. About that. Earlier, on the ship. I’m... I mean. I have come to the conclusion that what I did was... Highly regrettable.”

Lapis sighed, leaned back into the couch, and reached out to ruffle her roommate’s hair. “Yes, it was. You _ were _ kind of a prick, and I’m still not sure if I should forgive you for that. But either way, I’m happy you’re here now.”

Peridot’s shoulders tensed up from Lapis’ touch, but the little green gem was positively beaming. _ I didn’t know her smile could go even wider _, Lapis mused. She lifted her hand off of Peridot’s head and rested her arm atop the backrest of the couch.

“And Peridot?”

“Yes?”

“Put in the next tape. I want to see if Percy and Pierre get better for each other next episode.”

Peridot looked up at Lapis with stars in her eyes. “Yes! I’m sure you’ll see what I mean! Let’s see here...”

Earth had always seemed so strange and distant to Lapis. But even in the darkest hours of the night, it could be more vibrant and lively and colorful than she had ever imagined. And just maybe, for once in thousands and thousands of years, she didn’t have to be alone.


	2. Underwater/Nature Date (Day 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may not fit the prompt in a typical way, but I hope you enjoy anyway!

Against all odds, Lapis was finally beginning to understand her new roommate.

Peridot was certainly one of the strangest beings she had ever met. The little green gem would get excited over the strangest things and work on her projects through the strangest hours of the night. At times, during their afternoon viewings of  _ Camp Pining Hearts _ , Peridot’s expression would light up like a lightbulb and she would frantically scribble down a diagram on her tablet. And as soon as the episode was over, she would dash over to her work area and begin to put together bits and scraps of material. Peridot was quirky and spontaneous and ran through Lapis’ life like a hurricane, and to be honest, it felt good for a change.

But she couldn’t tell that to Peridot.

“Lazuli? What are you thinking about?” Peridot’s concerned voice broke her train of thought.

Lapis looked down at her roommate and smiled. “I’m okay. Thank you, Peridot.”

Peridot nodded and motioned towards the door. “Affirmative. You ready to go?”

She nodded back.

The pair made their way across the fields of grass. The soft stalks tickled the soles of Lapis’ feet as she walked, kicking up mud with every step. The glint of the morning sunbeams in her eyes, the sweet aroma of flowers she didn’t know the name of, the nostalgic feeling of being in the company of a… of a friend. It was all so new to her, so  _ sudden _ , but she went to bed every evening hoping that all of it would last. And she was so, so grateful for everyone that had gotten her this far.

But. She absolutely couldn’t tell that to Peridot.

Their warp pad sat at the bottom of a small hill by the barn, its jagged construction cold and lifeless against the rural landscape. Bits of dirt and loose pebbles were scattered over the small staircase, and thick vines were just beginning to snake their way around its crystal base. Lapis stopped and stared at the platform.

Well then. It had been a while. Little memories flashed before her eyes, tiny fragments of what happened the last time she went near one of these warp pads. The ear-splitting screams, the panic, the sheer desolation. But this was different. It wasn’t the homeworld warp. She could do it this time. It was just a simple, short jump to the temple. Homeworld wasn’t waiting to interrogate her on the other side. The rebels weren’t waiting to attack on this side. She was safe, the war was thousands of years in the past, and it was just her and the warp pad. She could do it. Couldn’t she? She was fine. She was safe. She was no longer underwater. She-

Lapis felt a gentle tug at her skirt. “Lazuli, we don’t have to  _ warp _ there. I may not have my limb enhancers, but I’m certain I could keep up with you if we walked.”

“I… “ Lapis held her elbows and sighed.  _ Not today either, huh. _ ”I might still need some time. I don’t know.”

Peridot immediately nodded. “Of course! Steven and the others will totally understand if we arrive a little late. To the beach!” She turned around to trek back up the hill, but Lapis stopped her.

“Hang on. We don’t have to warp, but maybe we don’t have to walk, either.”

* * *

Two pools of water formed at Lazuli’s back, clinging on to each other and forming into a pair of shimmering, translucent wings. They flapped a little, rippling and bending excitedly in the wind. Tiny droplets fell off the wingtips, clinging on to Lazuli’s flawless blue skin and slowly tracing paths of moisture down her back. And the more she stretched her wings out, the more her barnmate’s attention was called to her graceful outline. Peridot’s eyes were guided from her slender arms to her delicate fingers, to her slightly toned, exposed midriff, to her smooth bare legs. No matter how many times she gawked, the sight always left an absolutely indescribable feeling deep in Peridot’s gut. 

Then Lazuli turned around, her eyes ablaze with an honest passion, her smile wonderfully refreshing and excited, and suddenly the sun became brighter and felt hotter on Peridot’s skin. And as Lazuli extended her hand, her outstretched fingers gentle and eager and  _ ever so close _ to Peridot, the green gem realized just how grateful she was for all the peaceful and lovely things on this planet Earth.

“Hey! Earth to Peridot! You want to fly or not?”

Peridot gulped. In all the hours she had spent trying to figure out how to best befriend Lazuli, this was not something she had prepared for. She squeezed her burning cheeks between her palms, her mind racing a parsec a minute. “Are you sure? I mean, can you-- are you--”

As Peridot’s words failed her, Lazuli stepped forwards, turned around, and kneeled down.  _ There’s that smell of sea breeze again, _ thought Peridot.  _ And were these little orange freckles always on her neck? They… they look good on her. Aesthetically speaking. _

Lazuli reached behind her and gently placed Peridot’s arms around her shoulders. “You ready, Peridot? Hang on tight!”

“Lazuli, I-”

But before Peridot could say anything, Lazuli leapt into the sky, beating her enormous wings and launching herself upwards. Little droplets of water tickled Peridot’s shoulders, until the wind blew her hair all the way back and the acceleration weighed Peridot down like a rock.

“LAAAAAZULIIIIII!!!” Peridot shut her eyes tightly. She clung on to her for dear life, her ribbon tickling her chin, her innocent giggle reverberating through her chest. “I told you to hang on!”

_ Foosh. Foosh. _ The beating of Lazuli’s wings eventually slowed down, and Peridot felt weightless for a second, lazily drifting towards the sky. And then she felt two slender arms wrap around her legs, holding her firmly in place. As their course through the air evened out, Peridot cautiously opened her eyes.

Lazuli was still giggling to herself. “I’m sorry, Peridot, I couldn’t resist. I guess we’ve both abducted each other now, huh? We’ll call it even?” There was a hint of mischief in her tone. Peridot flushed and held on tighter. “I suppose.”

They were gliding through the air now, Lazuli’s wingbeats slowing to a crawl. And as Peridot looked out beneath her, the tense feeling in her stomach was replaced with a faint buzz of excitement.  _ The city!  _ It seemed so small and quaint from this height, and the houses were faint little squares in the distance. Even the water tower looked just like a little blue mushroom. And the glistening ocean drifted in and out of the shores of the beach, endlessly locked in a mesmerizing, rhythmic movement.

An incredulous whisper escaped Peridot’s lips. “It’s… beautiful.”

Lazuli patted one of her legs. “Mmm. Better than your enhancers?”

Peridot sighed. “Unfortunately, my enhancers did not allow for this altitude. And besides.” She paused. “You’re  _ much _ better at this than I am.”

“Hey, thanks.”

The pair continued to glide through the skies, eyes fixated on the view. As a wayward cloud drifted by Peridot, she shivered slightly, and pressed herself closer to Lazuli. She could smell Lazuli’s silken blue hair, feel every little movement throughout her body, and bask in the faint glow of Lazuli’s gem. And as Peridot realized  _ just how close _ they were, she began to heat right up again.

Lazuli began to hum a content, innocent melody, and Peridot felt every note resonating through her chest. And there they were, just the two of them.

They began to approach the temple. Grr.  _ Why did Beach City have to be so close? _

As if reading Peridot’s mind, Lapis tilted her head to the side and grinned. “Would you like to go for another round?”

Peridot flushed and nodded, adjusting her grip. “I mean, of  _ course _ !”

So they continued to glide past the temple, starting a wide circle around Beach City. The sounds, the smells, the warmth, the… the  _ feelings _ … Peridot wanted it to last forever.

_ Was that…  _ “Hey, I can see the car wash from here!”

“Mmhmm. And there’s Funland.”

“I see the whole boardwalk! It’s so small. FEAR ME, EARTHLINGS, FOR I AM MIGHTY AND TALL.”

Lazuli choked. “Stop it!”

“And look, I can see the Big Donut!”

Lazuli giggled. “And I can feel your heartbeat racing a mile a minute.”

Peridot’s face got two shades deeper. And although they were gliding far above the surface of the water, she felt like she was sinking deeper and deeper into unknown depths.

“Well, I- I can…” She leaned forward and pressed her nose against Lazuli’s neck. “I can see your freckles, right here!”

“I HAVE FRECKLES?” Lazuli jolted, careening to the right, and a familiar feeling of weightlessness overtook Peridot. The pair tumbled through the sky, wind whipping Lazuli’s hair in all directions, until she managed to catch herself and slow their descent to the ground.

“Peridot, I’m so sorry! I-”

But the sound of Peridot’s boisterous laughter stopped her. Peridot wiped a tear from her eye.

“Lazuli, you’re quite  _ cute _ sometimes, you know that?”

And the pair finally landed at the beach, kicking up warm sand beneath their feet. Lazuli was wearing that expression on her face again. That wonderful, warm, carefree expression, only this time, she was finally wearing it for Peridot.


	3. Different Types of Kisses (Day 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot gets a tiny kiss from Lapis. A direct continuation of the last chapter!
> 
> ...Poor Peridot. Enjoy!

Lapis grinned wildly and whipped around to face Peridot. “I’m _ what _ now?”

Little beads of sweat had begun to form on Peridot’s forehead. “Nothing. Nothing!” The short gem began to walk as swiftly as she could towards the stairs to the temple.

“You’re not getting away that easily!” Lapis unfurled her wings and leapt far into the air, landing in front of Peridot’s path. She crossed her arms smugly. “So, what was that?”

Peridot bolted past her tormentor. _ She could be so fast for such a tiny little one! _

“Hey! Peridot here! We made it! Open up!!” She sprinted up the wooden stairs and began to pound on the door. 

It instantly swung open, and Peridot nearly tumbled into the room. “Peridot!!!” A small figure leapt into Peridot’s arms, nearly bowling her over backwards. “You’re finally here!! What took you so long?”

“Hey. Steven.” Peridot cleared her throat and put the boy back on his feet. “Right. About that. I’m--”

“It was me. Sorry, Steven, I got caught up in something.” Lapis appeared behind Peridot, peeking above the smaller gem’s head. “We’re not too late, are we?”

Steven walked up to Lapis and beamed. “Nope! I was just about to go grab some more ingredients. But you know…” He grinned slyly and nudged Lapis’ leg with his elbow. “It would be a lot faster if we could _ fly _ there…”

Lapis laughed and ruffled Steven’s hair. “Alright, alright, I’ll take you. Hop on!”

“Yay!!”

As the kid climbed to Lapis’ shoulders, a familiar concerned voice sounded out from inside the house. “Fly safely, Lapis!”

Lapis yelled back, “I will, Pearl!” She turned back and smirked at Peridot, whose face now appeared to be olive green. “Be back soon, Peri.” She gave her roommate a quick wink before she unfurled her wings and took off into the afternoon sky.

“WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Steven screamed as they ascended, his voice growing faint with every gust of wind. “THIS IS SO FUN!!!!!!!!”

Lapis chuckled. “I _ guess _ it’s not too bad!”

She glided lazily for a few minutes, absentmindedly trying to look for the local supermarket.

_ Peridot’s so weird. One minute she keeps glaring at me, and the next, she’s calling me… cute. _ She giggled a little, rocking Steven up and down on her shoulders. _ I know she didn’t mean anything by it, but it is fun to provoke her about that kind of stuff. _

“What’s so funny?” asked Steven.

“It’s nothing,” Lapis replied, slowly making her way back to the ground until they landed in front of the store. “Just thinking about a conversation I had earlier with Peridot.”

Steven turned towards her with stars in his eyes. “So you’re getting along well, huh? I’m so happy for you two!” Lapis nodded. “I guess she’s… grown on me a bit. She can make things pretty exciting around here.” But of course, she could still never say that to Peridot.

Lapis held the door open for Steven, and they made their way into the supermarket. Steven led her all around the aisles, grabbing sweets and snacks wherever they went. “Ooh, and we could put some caramel sauce it!! Caramel goes amazing with everything…” He grabbed an orange bottle from a shelf that also had hamburger buns on it. “And we could sprinkle little kisses over it!!”

“A kiss?” asked Lapis. “Like with… Percy and Paulette? Would that make your food taste better?”

Steven let out a hearty chuckle and put his hands on his hips. “There are different kinds of kisses, Lapis! These are different. These are the kind of kisses you eat! Behold!” He pointed at a bag of tiny silver cones on the shelf.

Lapis squinted. “‘Chocolate… kisses.’ Why do you name so many things the same thing when they’re actually a different thing? How do you know which... which thing you’re talking about?”

Steven shrugged. “That’s a good point. Sometimes we don’t!”

The two finished selecting a very colorful assortment of items and made their way back to the front of the store. But before Lapis could walk out the front door, Steven leapt in front of her.

“Lapis!! You can’t do that!! It’ll _ beep _.”

“What?” Lapis frowned. “The food’s not going to _ beep _.” She tried to make her way outside again, but Steven tugged at her dress. “Come on, let’s just pay for it!”

One quick trade later (Steven had the upper hand because he only gave bits of paper for two whole bags full of food), they made their way back outside. Steven tore open the bag of kisses and unwrapped one. “See? It’s a kiss! Mwah!” He gave it a little peck with his lips before dropping it into his mouth. After a moment, his eyes flew open and his jaw dropped. 

“DELICIOUS! This is soooooooo sweet!!! This will go PERFECT on our cake!!”

Lapis smiled. “Go Steven.” The tiny human turned to her and held out a piece of chocolate. “Want to try one?”

“Thanks! But I’m still not putting that stuff in my body.” She took the kiss, though, and held it tightly in her hand.

“That’s cool. Suit yourself,” said Steven, climbing onto his friend’s back.

* * *

Peridot squished her cheeks together with her hands. _ What was that? What was that? What was that? _ As Lapis and Steven disappeared into the distance, Peridot staggered into the living room. _ What was that? What was that? There had to be a perfectly rational explanation. _ She closed the door and lay down on the floor, limbs spread out in all directions. _ What was it, though? Some form of psychoactive Earth pathogen? I should get myself bioscanned. Does Earth have those? I need to build a bioscanner and get myself bioscanned. _

Then she giggled, the warmth of Lapis’ elegant back fresh on her mind. ‘_ I can feel your heartbeat racing a mile a minute,’ she said. She didn’t even know she had freckles. How did she not even know she had freckles? She’s so... _ Peridot crawled up into a ball, mortified. _ She is, but I told her. Why did I say that? It’s true, though, nyehehehe. She IS. ...But I messed up. I shouldn’t have told her. But WHY shouldn’t I have told her? _

“Uhhh… P-Dot? You okay over there?” A concerned purple head popped into her field of view, looking down at her.

Peridot closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. “Amethyst. I need to think. I think I've come across a mystery too complex for even the likes of myself.”

"A _ mystery? _ I _ love _mysteries!" Peridot opened her eyes to a familiar long, pale face beaming down at her.

Peridot sighed. "_ Pearl. _ This is _ serious. _ Do you really think you can help me?" She paused. "I know I made that sound like a rhetorical question, but it wasn't. Do you _ really _ think you could help me?"

Pearl and Amethyst exchanged a quick, concerned glance. "Well, sure we can. You can tell us anything, Peridot.” Amethyst nodded. “Yeah, P! We always got your back.”

The little green gem mumbled something and crawled up onto the couch. She sat up, grumbled some more, and dropped back down onto the cushions. Her friends dropped down beside her.

“I don’t think this whole ‘barn-mates’ thing is working out,” Peridot began. “Lazuli is getting on my nerves.”

And so she told Pearl and Amethyst about Lazuli. About how she always seemed so distant, how at first she wouldn’t even look at Peridot. About how irrational she was, about how the things she did didn’t make any sense, about how she could be so _ difficult _ about everything. About how she rarely ever smiled.

But when she did smile, it eclipsed everything else.

Peridot had seen it all. Meteors blazing through the atmosphere like vibrant tears in the very fabric of space, desolate red planets slowly transforming into prismatic, crystalline paradises, intense hypernovae blasting gamma rays throughout the galaxies, scattering massive shock waves of gas and energy and matter in all directions.

And yet she felt ready to give it all up to be on Earth with Lazuli.

Wasn’t that _ terrible _ ? It was like she was becoming someone entirely different. But the worst part was that she was beginning to _ like it _.

It was comfortable living life out in the barn. Peridot got to see Lazuli’s face when she woke up in all of her tangled-hair, sleepy-eyed splendor. And since neither of them had any real obligations, they could sit down together and watch television all day. All her life, Peridot had never quite been satisfied without a homeworld multitool by her side and an interstellar vessel at her fingertips.

But now, Peridot’s idea of a good time involved lazing about, cracking jokes with Lazuli. It was always a perfect day on Earth when Peridot could curl up right next to Lazuli, close but never quite making contact with her legs, stealing quick glances into those piercing blue eyes. And whenever Peridot closed her eyes, she could no longer see galaxies sparkling across the night sky, or hear the gentle hum of a control panel in front of her, or taste the faintest trace of metal and dust in the air. She could only see Lazuli. It was just Lazuli, with her graceful frame and her sly side-eyes and her wisecracks and her incredible inner strength and her soothing presence. It was just the two of them, and she was _ distracting _ and she was _ irritating _ and she was… she was….

Peridot looked down at her hands. “I was... so distracted earlier that I even called her… c- cute. Just a quick question. _ Why did I do that?!! _” She glanced up at her friends, finally stopping to catch her breath.

Amethyst was staring at Peridot, jaw dropped to the floor in an unprecedented expression of pure shock. Pearl’s eyes, however, were closed shut. The lanky gem nodded, let out a deliberate sigh, and opened her eyes again. “Peridot.”

“Yes?”

“Would you draw your sword and lay your life on the line for her?”

Peridot frowned. “Of course not, I would NEVER! I mean, swords are _ so _ old-fashioned. However, one night, these ‘coyotes’ woke her up while she was sleeping, so I deployed an array of defense drones in a one mile radius as a preemptive measure.”

Pearl shook an incredulous look off of her face and continued. “Yes. And would you follow her for thousands of years, willing to be by her side wherever she goes?”

Peridot narrowed her eyes. “But we already do everything together, Pearl. You know, since we’re roommates and everything.”

Pearl leaned in close, the tip of her nose almost making contact with Peridot’s forehead.

“But do you _ like _ it?”

Did she like it? Did she like the thoughts they shared late at night without a soul within earshot? Did she like having someone to tell her good morning and welcome her back when she got back home? She looked down at her hands.

“Of course I do.” She clutched a pillow and pulled it close to her chest. “Of course I lo-... thoroughly enjoy the company.”

Pearl leaned back and sighed. “Well, Peridot, I think you might already have an idea as to what this is. Amethyst, do you want to tell her?”

The purple gem squished her cheeks between her hands, mouth agape. “...P-dot...” she said deliberately. “P-dot’s in _ love? _”

“No.” Said Peridot. “_ Hello? _ Have you forgotten? I’m a gem! That doesn’t happen to gems, does it?”

Pearl was smiling now, stars forming in her eyes. “YES! It does! That is _ exactly _ how I felt for all my time on Earth. The longing, the closeness, the _ pain _ . I never got homesick, Peridot, not once in five thousand years, because my home was with _ Rose Quartz _, my fearless--”

Peridot cut her off. “Amethyst_ , _ what do you think about this? You’re being weirdly quiet. Shouldn’t you be cracking jokes at me or something?”

Amethyst jolted. “Yeah!! Right, you go, P-Dot!!” She paused, and then sighed. “Pearl’s right, you know. I’m sorry, but I have to diagnose you with g--”

“WE’RE HOME!”

* * *

Lapis walked through the door with her arms full of groceries. Peridot was lying face-down on the couch with a pillow over her head. Pearl and Amethyst were standing upright with their backs remarkably straight as they stared at the far wall.

“Uhh. Hey. What’s going on?” Lapis asked.

Pearl creaked her head to the side and flung her arms around, gesticulating wildly. “LAPIS! I’m SO GLAD you could COME. WELCOME, to the TEMPLE.”

Amethyst leapt in front of Lapis, shaking her head violently. “Nope! Nothing going on here! We were just… waiting! For you. And Steven! And we will bake.”

Steven walked into the room and nodded. “Okay, sounds completely normal! Let’s do this!!”

_ There’s always something crazy going on in here, huh. _ Lapis placed her bags onto the floor and turned to the rest of the Crystal Gems. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Steven rubbed his chin with his index finger. “Hmm. I suppose you could mix-”

“That’s _ right _ , Steven.” Pearl interrupted. “Stirring the cake is very _ complicated _ and _ disgusting. _ The feeling of moist food product under your fingernails is _ unbearable _ if you’re not used to it like we are. How about you let us do the baking, and you can keep Peridot company on the couch?”

Lapis squinted. _ Hmm. _ “Sure.”

As she turned around and sat down next to Peridot, she could hear a sigh of relief from behind her. _ Hmmm. _“What’s with them?” she asked.

Her roommate’s head was still face down on the couch. Lapis picked up the pillow that was covering her face, and Peridot gave out a little squeak.

“And what’s with _ you _? If it’s about what you said earlier, I’m already done teasing you.”

Peridot sat up and rubbed her temples. “It’s _ them _. They’re trying to put… incorrect ideas into my head again.”

Lapis glanced over at the kitchen, meeting eyes with Amethyst, who promptly looked back at the table and began to stir something violently. “What happened?”  
The green gem folded her arms across her chest and puffed out her cheeks. “Evidently, these _utter clods_ are just trying to mess with me. There’s _no way_. There’s _no way_…”

_ She looks tiny when she’s like this. _ Lapis loosened up and leaned back further into the couch. _ Well, I don’t think Pearl would tease her about anything, but I guess I can see why those gems might would want to. I mean, it’s just so easy. _

Lapis smirked. “I’m sorry. Would this make you feel better?” She began to imitate the voice of Percy from their favorite show. “Oh, Pierre. It’s, like, totally okay to say no. But would you like, like, a kiss from me to you?” 

Peridot’s entire face flushed a strange seaweed green as she leapt up in her seat. “LAZULI! THAT’S-.... LA- LAZULI!!!!!!” She waved her arms at all directions, shaking her head from side to side with the force of a hurricane.

Lapis was already bent over laughing. _ It hurts… Her face… oh… _ She clutched her sides in pain, eyes watering from Peridot’s expression. _ I’ll have to burn this moment into my memory… _ She looked over to the kitchen, where the three crystal gems were trying to sneak glances at her curiously. _ That’s not sneaky at all, though!!! _ She snorted and continued to giggle loudly to herself, trying to sit back upright.

Eventually, with some consoling from Lapis, the two settled down again. “I didn’t think that was going to work so well, Peridot.”

Peridot put her head in her hands and shook it. “Why are you doing this to me?”

Lapis snorted again. “Peridot. Look. Steven showed me. It’s a _ chocolate kiss_. It’s human food!” She held out the unwrapped piece of chocolate on her palm.

Peridot stared at her palm. “I thought we had already learned the definition of kissing earlier. This does not match it.”

“Well I didn’t know it was a food either! But Steven said it was delicious, so I thought you might want to try it.”

Her roommate squinted her large, green eyes at it. “I don’t _ agree _ with human methods of energy consumption. This is probably the least efficient way to power themselves.”

Lapis shrugged. “Maybe it’s not just meant for energy. I mean, Amethyst eats food _ all the time _. And this one’s really small, so it might be good to just try it.”

Peridot leaned in and stared at the sweet-smelling piece of chocolate in Lapis’ hand. Then she looked back up directly at Lapis, and then back down to her kiss. The green gem blushed a little more.

“No.”

_ SHE WANTS IT SO MUCH, _ Lapis thought to herself. _ Although she’s not going to tell me. _ This was a common occurrence with Peridot. She sighed and picked up the kiss in her other hand.

“How about now?” She sank her teeth into the chocolate, letting a chunk of it fall into her own mouth, and held out the rest to Peridot. “Now it’s just a half kiss.”

* * *

####  _ A half kiss. A half kiss. A half kiss. _

Lazuli’s words became a deafening roar in her mind.

** _ Now it’s just a half kiss. _ **

What was a half kiss? Was it half of the chocolate? Was it a half kiss because... because Lazuli was exchanging her saliva with Peridot, but not the other way around? What if she did it the other way around? Would it be a full kiss? Peridot glanced at Lazuli’s lips, delicate and smooth. But Lazuli didn’t want to kiss. She just wanted to give Peridot a kiss. To give her a kiss?

“Hey,” said Lazuli, tentatively moving the piece of chocolate towards Peridot’s lips. “Don’t make this weirder than it already is.”

Peridot gulped and opened her mouth wide. Her roommate reached forward, averting her gaze, and dropped the piece into her mouth.

“How is it?”

Peridot chewed, thoroughly mixing the chocolate around her mouth. As her burning cheeks began to melt the piece down, she became faintly aware of its strong, saccharine aroma. But for some reason, she couldn’t quite concentrate on the taste.

“It’s sweet.”

Lazuli glanced at her, smiled, and moved a little closer to her on the couch.

“Well, do you like it?”

A pause.

“... I do.”

“Me too.”

The pair stayed like that for a little while, taking in the sweet experience. And Peridot was only very faintly aware of her surroundings, focusing instead on the warmth of the gem beside her and the kiss that they had shared.

_ BEEP - BEEP - BEEP - BEEP! BEEP - BEEP - BEEP - BEEP! _

A loud, irritating alarm blasted throughout the room, breaking the silence. “STEVEN,” yelled Lazuli. “DID YOU REMEMBER TO PAY FOR THE CAKE? YOUR FOOD IS BEEPING.” Peridot noticed the rest of the group staring at them in shocked awe, seemingly too stunned to respond.

Thankfully, a familiar blue flash filled the room as a tall gem materialized through the temple’s warp pad. Garnet stepped off of the platform, walked over to the kitchen, and pressed a button on a large device.

“It’s the oven,” she said coolly, as the alarm stopped chirping. “Dinner’s ready.”

“Oh, I see!” Pearl began to run excitedly around the kitchen, collecting miscellaneous objects from various countertops. “Well, we should get ready to decorate!”

Peridot sighed in relief before burying her face into her knees. _ Why did that moment have to happen in front of everyone else… at least Garnet didn’t see it. _

Garnet walked towards the green gem. She lifted her sunglasses, revealing her three round eyes, and winked at Peridot with two of them.  
“Did you have fun?”

Peridot whipped around incredulously and stared at her roommate, as if begging her for help. But Lazuli simply stared back at Peridot, an expression of innocent curiosity on her face.

“Gaaaah! Let’s just go decorate!” Peridot stood up and walked to the kitchen, avoiding everyone’s side-eyed glances. She licked the remnants of deep, rich chocolate off her lips, flushing green once more as a certain memory replayed in her mind over and over again.

“I’ll get the kisses!”


End file.
